1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for producing cold and/or heat by solid/gas reaction and, more particularly, relates to an air conditioning unit with heat pumps.
2. Discussion of the Background
The device addressed by the invention is based on the use of the so-called "thermochemical pump" system, whose main characteristics are the following:
thermal energy is used for the operation of the system itself; electrical energy is used, if at all, only for the circulation of the heat-transfer fluids, or through its Joule effect; and PA1 a reversible reaction between a solid and a gas of the type: ##STR1## is used as "chemical engine".
The reaction is exothermic in direction 1, which means that in this direction it produces heat, and endothermic in direction 2, that is to say that in this direction it produces cold.
Such a system enables the storage of energy in chemical form and offers various areas of application.
Moreover, such a system enables the production, from a heat source at the temperature Ts, of heat at the temperature Tu such that: EQU Tu&lt;Ts
In this case, the system is referred to as "chemical heat pump".
Likewise, such a system enables the production, from a heat source at the temperature T's, of heat at the temperature T'u such that: EQU T'u&gt;T's
In this case, the system is referred to as "chemical heat transformer".
By virtue of this system it is possible to produce cooling energy from a heat source and to simultaneously produce, from a heat source at the temperature T"s, heat at the temperature T"u (T"u&lt;T"s) and cooling energy.
Depending on the case, the use of the heat or of the cold produced is simultaneous with the consumption of energy at high temperature (Ts, T's, T"s) or, differing in time (storage effect).
A device for continuous production of cold and/or heat which comprises two reactors containing the same solid compound, a condenser and an evaporator is known from the French Patent Application No. 87 07210.
Despite its advantages, this device is of limited efficiency and requires a large number of components and operating devices.